The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-04-30


not willingly place himself on tn
stand where awkward questions
may be asked.
1t is now learned that when j
became evident that some one ia
miliar with the facts had disclosed
Rogers identity to one or two per
sons-something over a week age
Rogers came down from Sonomi
fully bent on killing General Darr
from whom he inferred the state
ment had come.
The determined spirit of the
outlaw manifested itself, and h,
swore he would shoot Darr or
sight. Some of his friends got
wind of it however and managed
with great difficulty, to dissuade
him from the step. Whether Darl
knew this or not is not known, but
he certainly deemed it possible
that he might be assassinated, for
he made all preparations, so that
in such an event the arrest of all
living and known members of the
Kissane gang should at once fol-
low. The publicity given the affair,
however, has rendered any blood
shed foolish in the extreme, and
it would only precipitate matters,
and it is not likely that any killing
will be done. Public excitement,
however, is intense, and there may
yet be trouble.
The sermon delivered by Rev.
Talmage, in New York, last Sun
day, in which he plead for mercy
for Kissane, is condemned by some
while others endorse it. The story
of kissane's career is very interest
ing. l gather from citizens and
Sacramento papers an exciting mar
rative, which will doubtless prove
of interest to your readers.
William Kissane was born in
Ireland, and when very young was
brought to Canada by his parents.
He came to Cincinnati in 1S43, be-
ing then about twenty, with letters
to Lot Pugh e. Co., afterwards
Johnson & Pugh. pork packers, in
to whose company he was taken.
Their warehouse was destroyed by
fire latter, and Pugh always claimed
that Kissane fired it. kissane
started in business for himself as a
pork-packer and candle-maker, his
place of business being next to that
of Pope & Corder. Pope was the
father-in-law of General Darr,
through whose untiring efforts the
identity of Kissane has been finally
established, and when Kissane, in
burning his own warehouse to col
lect insurance on fictitious goods,
destroyed the property of Pope &
Corder, worth several hundred
thousand dollars and reduced the
families to poverty, he inspired in
young Darr's mind a determina-
ton to bring him to justice. AT
this time Kissane was a prominent
of a notorious organized
gang infesting a number of states,
whose Systematically planned out
RACES have become matters of his
tory. Arson, robbery and forgery
were their business, and were with
them reduced to fine art. Many
of,the members of the gang were
rich and respectable citizens, and of
them all, Kissane, although less than
thirty, was the brightest, the most
in planning and daring
in execution. He is described as
remarkably handsome, fascinating
in manners and brilliant in conver-
sation. In one of three books writ
ten years ago, upon the exploits
of Kissane, and which he thought
he had entirely suppressed, refers
to "his courtly brother" meaning
Reuben, now Reuben II. Lloyd. On
January IA, 1852, occurred the
burning of the Martha Washington,
by which sixteen innocent lives
were sacrificed to gain several hun
dred thousand dollars insurance
on a fictitious cargo. The unpub-
lished details of this crime, horri-
BILE in its recklessness and heart
would fill columns. Suf-
fee it now to say that through h the
efforts of Sidney c. Burton, Kis-
sane and eight others were arrested
in December, 1852, charged with
conspiracy. Meanwhile, in July,
1852, he was expelled for his crimes
from the Masonic Lodge to which he
had been admitted seven months
before. The Martha Washington
trial did not take place until Octo-
Der, 1853, and largely because of a
technicality the verdict of not
guilty was unwillingly returned by
the jury after weeks deliberation.
Before the trial, while out on bail,
during the summer of 1853, Kls-
sane was three times arrested and
of forgery on the Cincin-
natl banks.
The defrauded insurance compa-
nies and Burton were not satisfied
with the result of the trial of the
Washington censpirators,
and had Kissane and the captain